Dallas Summer Musicals’ 75th Season

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Dallas — The 2014-’15 season for Dallas Summer Musicals—its 75th!—was announced Thursday night at an event at the Fair Park Band Shell. Even though not all of the shows are new, this season is interesting because every show is the first national tour, with the exception of The King and I, which will be a mini-tour that will begin in and cast from Dallas. (So, no filler spots for things that have toured forever, like Mamma Mia! or Stomp!

 

 

We’ll get tours of new shows and revivals that have been opened on Broadway in the past two or three years, with lots of Tony winners, from Kinky Boots to the revivals of Pippin and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella. Those three shows, along with a pre-Broadway tour of Dirty Dancing, will also be shared with Performing Arts Fort Worth. Pippin, Cinderella and Dirty will run back-to-back, two weeks at the Music Hall at Fair Park and one week in Fort Worth’s Bass Hall. Kinky Boots appears in Fort Worth several months after Dallas.

 

 

This is because of a new alliance between DSM and PAFW. You can read more about that in Mark Lowry’s story for the Star-Telegram/DFW.com, here. Read more about Performing Arts Fort Worth’s season here.

 

 

DSM’s season starts with the regional premiere of the musical version of the beloved movie A Christmas Story, by Tony-nominated composers/lyricists Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, also known for Dogfight, having its area premiere at WaterTower Theatre soon.

 

 

Meanwhile, here’s more about the DSM season, with dates, show descriptions and subscription info from the news release:

 

DALLAS, TX…Dallas Summer Musicals, Inc. (DSM) announced their 2014/2015 season of shows  with fireworks and a spectacular return to the Fair Park Band Shell where DSM first performed their shows.  DSM has been bringing the Best of Broadway to North Texas audiences with the finest in professional live theatrical entertainment since 1941.

 

 

Michael A. Jenkins, President and Managing Director of Dallas Summer Musicals, said, “We believe in creating memories that will last a lifetime, so our 75th year will be filled with musicals offering an unforgettable experience for everyone in the family.  We will kick off the 2015 season with a hilarious musical straight from Broadway, A CHRISTMAS STORY, in December of 2014. Three of our 2015 shows are still playing on Broadway, and one has never been seen outside of Australia.”

 

 

In addition to the 2014/2015 shows, Jenkins also announced that DSM’s collaboration with Performing Arts Fort Worth (PAFW) would be extended to include four touring Broadway shows that will be presented by DSM and PAFW at their separate venues.  KINKY BOOTS, DIRTY DANCING, RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA, and PIPPIN will be presented by DSM at the Music Hall at Fair Park in Dallas and by PAFW at Bass Hall in Fort Worth.

 

 

“This is a partnership that has worked well in the past,” Jenkins said, “and we are looking forward to working closely with Managing Director Dione Kennedy and our colleagues at PAFW as we plan future seasons.  We will also produce our own version of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S THE KING & I, as we did with our 2014 production of Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID. Our efforts to reach new audiences, and to bring the latest Broadway shows to North Texas, include investing in and producing shows on Broadway and expanding our DSM High School Musical Theatre Awards, which last year brought 56 Texas schools together to compete for recognition and scholarships.  Our DSM Academy of Performing Arts also provides valuable training to students of music, dance and acting with locations across the Metroplex.”

 

 

DSM 2014/2015 SEASON–PERFORMANCES AT THE MUSIC HALL AT FAIR PARK

 

 

 

A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL, December 2-14, 2014

 

 

A sparkling new stage musical adaptation based on the popular 1983 family classic film featuring Ralphie Parker.  He longs to find an official Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle under the Christmas tree. Direct from Broadway, where it won three 2013 Tony Award® nominations for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score, A CHRISTMAS STORY is directed by Tony Award-winner John Rando and choreographed by Warren Carlyle.

 

 

KINKY BOOTS, February 24-March 8, 2015

 

 

Winner of the 2013 Tony® Award for Best Musical and five other Tony Awards, it’s an exhilarating Broadway musical still playing to packed audiences on Broadway, that lifts spirits to new high-heeled heights.  Inspired by a true story that follows a struggling shoe factory owner who works to turn his business around with help from an entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, KINKY BOOTS  features a joyous, Tony-Award winning score by Cyndi Lauper, direction and Tony-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell, and a hilarious , uplifting book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Feinstein. ABC News called it “The Hottest Broadway Show of the Year.”

 

 

THE KING AND I, March 20-April 5, 2015

 

 

East versus West makes for a dramatic, richly textured and ultimately uplifting tale of enormous fascination.  It is 1862 in Siam when an English widow, Anna Leonowens, and her young son arrive at the Royal Palace in Bangkok, having been summoned by the King to serve as tutor to his many children and wives.  The King is largely considered to be a barbarian by those in the West, and he seeks Anna’s assistance in changing his image, if not his ways.  With both keeping a firm grip on their respective traditions and values, Anna and the King grow to understand and eventually respect one another in a truly unique love story.  Along with the dazzling score, the comparable Jerome Robbins ballet, “The Small House of Uncle Thomas” is one of the all-time marvels of the musical stage.  DSM will produce the musical.

 

 

THE ILLUSIONISTS, April 7-19, 2015

 

 

Coming to Broadway in the fall, the world’s best-selling magic show showcases mind-blowing, spectacular talents of seven of the most incredible illusionist on earth.  Shattering box office records across the globe, THE ILLUSIONISTS dazzles audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever seen on stage.  This non-stop show is packed with thrilling and sophisticated magic of unprecedented proportions.

 

 

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA, June 9-21, 2015

 

 

The Tony-Award winning Broadway musical from the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific, CINDERELLA is still delighting audiences on Broadway with its contemporary take on the classic tale.  This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball, and more—plus some surprising new twists.  Be transported back to childhood and rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, such as “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” in this romantic Broadway experience for anyone who’s ever had a wish, a dream, or a really great pair of shoes.  Associated Press said, “Pure Magic!  Broadway’s new Cinderella crackles with sweetness and freshness.”

 

 

 

 

DIRTY DANCING, June 23-July 5, 2015

 

 

The classic story on stage is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance, and sensational dancing.  Seen by millions across the globe, this smash hit musical tells the classic story of two fiercely independent young spirits from difference worlds who come together for the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.  Featuring the hit songs “Hungry Eyes,” “Hey Baby,” “Do You Love Me?” and the heart stopping “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” this record-breaking live theatre sensation offers audiences the time of their lives.

 

 

PIPPIN, July 7-19, 2015

 

 

The 2013 Tony Award winner for Best Musical Revival, PIPPIN is a magical, unforgettable production The New York Times declared “Astonishing!  A PIPPIN for the 21st Century.” Direct from Broadway and back for the first time since it thrilled audiences 40 years ago, with a beloved score by Tony nominee Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked), PIPPIN tells the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence.  Will he choose a happy but simple life?  Or will he risk everything for a singular flash of glory?  This captivating new production is directed by Tony winner Diane Paulua (Hair and The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess).  PIPPIN features sizzling choreography in the style of Bob Fosse, and breathtaking acrobatics by Les 7 Doigts de la Main, the creative force behind the nationwide sensation Traces.

 

 

 

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